Chicago Fire FC set a new club attendance record on Wednesday night. They welcomed 63,094 fans to Soldier Field for their match against Inter Miami CF. This broke the previous record of 62,358. That record was set on April 13, 2025, when Chicago hosted Miami. The old record before that was 62,124. It was set in October 2023 during Chicago’s 4-1 win over Miami. The arrival of Robert Lewandowski has helped bring in a new era for the club.
The record crowd continued a trend of large attendances across MLS in 2026. Several clubs set new benchmarks. On May 9, Toronto FC drew a club-record 44,828 fans to BMO Field for a match against Inter Miami. Messi scored one goal and provided two assists in Miami’s 4-2 win.
On April 18, the Colorado Rapids welcomed a club-record 75,824 fans to Empower Field at Mile High. Miami won that match 3-2. This was the second-highest single-match attendance in MLS history. On March 7, D.C. United drew a club-record 72,026 fans to M&T Bank Stadium, where Miami won 2-1.
In this match, Robert Lewandowski and Lionel Messi faced each other. Lewandowski joined Chicago this summer. He had a decorated career in Europe, scoring more than 700 goals for club and country. He made an immediate impact by scoring the opening goal in the 10th minute. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Miami remains second in the Eastern Conference with 44 points. Chicago is close behind in third place with 39 points.
Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski Draw Record Crowd as Chicago Fire and Inter Miami Play 1-1 Thriller
Chicago Fire hosted Inter Miami on Wednesday night. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. A club-record crowd of 63,094 watched at Soldier Field. The game featured Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski. Both are among the most famous players in soccer.
Before the match, Fire president of business operations Dave Baldwin said there was a huge outpouring of support. His phone rang nonstop for 24 hours. Local athletes and celebrities wanted seats near the field. Patrick Kane led the pregame Sound the Alarm tradition.
Lewandowski opened the scoring in the 10th minute. He turned in a cross from Andrew Gutman. It was his sixth goal in nine MLS games. Gutman said the finish was amazing. He said it is easy when you put the ball in a spot and Lewandowski does the rest.
Messi helped Miami equalise in the 48th minute. His corner kick found Casemiro, who scored. Messi started slowly but grew into the game. He had four shots on target. He had a chance to win it in stoppage time. His free kick hit the Fire wall.
With Lewandowski on the team, the Fire are averaging 41,815 fans in three league matches at Soldier Field. Before he arrived, they averaged 19,668 over eight dates. Wednesday was Messi’s second MLS game at Soldier Field. His first was a 0-0 draw on April 13, 2025, which drew 62,538. In 2023, Messi was injured and missed the Fire’s 4-1 win. That event still drew 62,124 fans.
On Wednesday, Messi was a big attraction. However, the Fire had a slight majority of the support. Many fans booed Messi and chanted Lewandowski’s name. Lewandowski’s applause during pregame introductions was louder than Messi’s. Inter Miami’s pink and black and Argentina’s light blue were visible. But they did not overwhelm the Fire’s red and other home gear.
Lewandowski’s presence has given the Fire global attention, but also challenges. The club has to handle more ticket demand, extra security, and more media requests. Baldwin said these are good problems to have. He said MLS shares best practices for these issues. He said the Fire were not caught off guard because they had recruited Lewandowski for a while. He said it has lived up to the hype.
FAQs
Q. What was Chicago Fire’s new attendance record?
A. Chicago Fire drew 63,094 fans against Inter Miami.
Q. Where did Chicago Fire set the attendance record?
A. The record was set at Soldier Field.
Q. What was the result between Chicago Fire and Inter Miami?
A. The match ended in a 1-1 draw.
Q. Who scored Chicago Fire’s goal against Inter Miami?
A. Robert Lewandowski scored Chicago’s goal.
Q. How many fans did Chicago Fire average after Lewandowski joined?
A. They averaged 41,815 fans in three league matches.
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